The Toronto Student Transportation Group is an initiative between both the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board. Our goal is to ensure the health and safety of our students through various modes of transportation and to help families make informed decisions regarding their transportation choices when accessing education here in Toronto.
Spotlight
Covid 19 and School Bus Safety
As the Toronto School Boards prepare to return to school this September we wanted to highlight some of new protocols and procedures that will be in place on the school bus.
● Before every trip, bus drivers, students, parents and staff must self-assess for any COVID-19 symptoms. All students and drivers who experience symptoms must self-isolate and stay home. If a child develops symptoms while at school, he/she will not be permitted to return home on a school bus and must be picked up by a parent/guardian or provided a safe alternate means of transportation.
● ALL STUDENTS will be required to wear non-medical masks on school buses. Exceptions will be made for students with medical conditions or special needs.
● Special care and attention will be given to supporting students with special education needs. Some children may not be able to use masks or may have medical or other special circumstances that require accommodations. Please inform the principal and transportation department of any accommodation requirements as soon as possible.
● School bus drivers will be required to wear medical masks and/or face shields when students are entering and exiting the bus.
● Students will be assigned seats on the bus. Students who live in the same household or who are in the same classroom cohort will be seated together.
● Enhanced cleaning for high touch surfaces (e.g. seat tops and inside hand railing) will be performed before and after each shift, as well as in between runs. Frequency of general cleaning and deep cleaning will also be increased.
● Whenever possible, windows will be opened to increase ventilation on the bus.
● Hand sanitizer will be made available on the bus, and drivers will use sanitizer before and after assisting a child to their seat (if applicable), touching wheelchairs or other assistive devices, or having other direct contact with children, as needed throughout a trip and where gloves are not able to be used.
● Signage will be displayed on buses to reinforce the importance of wearing masks, staying six feet apart where possible (e.g. lining up for the bus, boarding and disembarking), using good hand hygiene and not going into the aisles or congregating near the driver.
● We have prepared 5 short videos that captures this information above to ensure safety of the students and drivers on the bus.
Current News
Transportation services are running today Tuesday January 26, 2021 in Toronto for those students that have been receiving service in January. Parents should consider the weather before sending your child on the bus. The afternoon trip home may be longer then normal due to the weather and traffic. Please be careful if travelling.
Well well, looks like most of our transported students won't be back for a few weeks until the 25th. For those that have returned, a reminder about safety on the school bus and our new Covid-19 protocols this year. We've highlighted the protocols in our Spotlight article on our website which also has some links to our Covid video's that we shared in the Fall. www.torontoschoolbus.org/ . Hope everyone had a great distanced holiday and we look forward to a safe and productive return to student transportation in the new year!
Information
- Letter – TSTG Covid Update August 14 2020
- Letter – TSTG Covid Update July 2020
- Spring 2020 Newsletter
- Parent Letter August 30 2019
- Parent Letter August 27 2019
- TSTG Spring 2019 Newsletter
- TSTG Fall 2018 Newsletter
- New parent guide to transportation
- Safety Guide for School Children & Parents
- Access To Education
- Parent Safety Program (Kiss n Ride)
- Preparing Your Child for Using Public Transit Safely
- Purple Equals Parent Program
- Transportation Brochure
- Transportation Brochure For Students With Special Needs
- Safe Streets Guide 2016
- TSTG Policy Operation Manual revised 2018
- Toronto Effectiveness and Efficiency Report 2011
- Auditor General Report 2015
- Ontario Ombudsman Report on Student Transportation
Fast Facts
- Number of buses: 1816
- Number of students transported: 56,617
- Total distance traveled: 71,241 km
- Annual budget: $90 M
- Number of carriers: 7
- Change requests each September: 1400
